Dr T and the case of another teen victim By Georgia Houweling
The door continued to knock. She begged it to silence, silently she crossed of the list in the mind of things she had done; she had paid the rent so it couldn’t be Larry, her landlord she had paid for the electricity and water bills, even though she had hardly been there. Who could be the obnoxious person knocking at the door? Today was her day off; there was no way she was getting out of bed. Her body ached from exhaustion the last six weeks had been absolutely dreadful. With that she rose, ready to scream at her assailant and slam the door and continue to rest, she pulled down her over-sized shirt, and pulled her hair into a pony-tail.
She flung the door open, immediately unimpressed and leaned against the doorway, Will stood, there looking more exhausted than ever, his tie held loosely by the collar was blue, with strips perhaps a golden yellow, Renee would have referred to it as saffron yellow, or something technical for it. He stood at roughly 6foot, with black hair and green-grey eyes that changed in the sunlight, although they always had the same dark sinister look to them, something hidden perhaps it was because he was an investigator or something worse. Immediately she took in all of him, reading every inch, like her mother always said to her, once you learn to observe, you can never stop. She listed each and every one of them ; He was tired, this was because of the plane, he didn’t like flying especially long trips, He looked stressed concern filled his eyes, he was also agitated she didn’t know why yet, but from the look on his face, she was about to find out.
“Stevens’ is getting out on parole, the court approved it yesterday, the appeal is in two weeks, and damn Lockleys got it brought forward. I----” He told her, His stern voice, wavered on Lockleys’s name, the two had clashed several times, she interrupted him.
“Come in” She said in immediately opening the door more. He stepped inside, used to this, she could tell he was frustrated, it screamed at her. He walked over to the lounge, perfectly comfortable, with where he was, she smiled slightly to herself. “I’m going to take a shower and get ready, make yourself a coffee and me one two, I’ll be done in 20 minutes” With that she headed back in to her room.
Will stared at the TV for a while, Tessa’s house was so bland, and there were no photos, no memories nothing to say that she lived there, but then again that was Tess, detached and absent from the world, yet so in tune with what people spoke, even if they didn’t say it out loud, she knew exactly what they were thinking. Perhaps it was because of her job, they had worked as a partners since she got a job with the feds, and he always liked to have her handy whether it was to calm the family and friends or help suss out people.
She was one of the best the best forensic psychologists in the world, and the team had been asked to solve murders all over the world. It was funny, when they had first met, he found her nothing but a nuisance, perhaps it was because she was always right.
Tessa stared at herself in the mirror, taking in every bit of her, she had blue eyes crystal clear, and they shone like diamonds, with a bite at the end. Her brown hair think and layered, was wet, she grabbed the blow dryer and started to dry it off. She was tanned, she supposed, maybe it was from being in Paris for so long, she missed it, although not the murder. She had been looking forward to spending a few days to herself, but this case had to be solved, it was her first case she’d done fresh out of uni, her first job ever, the first time she ever met Will. She remembered the way she got out of the car and faced the school where Jackie Hall had been killed or suicide as they thought at the time...
“Ahhhh” Will sighed, his voice still agitated her “Another teenage suicide, great.” She rolled her eyes and continued to ignore him, and observed the situation. The media was outside the gates eagerly awaiting the news, what had actually happened to Jackie Hall? School Captain, Most Popular girl in school, She was pretty, from the profile Will Gave her, Blonde hair, Hazel green eyes, she would have had all the testosterone raged boys drooling after her. Her gaze followed along the school gates, leading to a green area where 3 or 4 girls sat crying – Friends she immediately listed, the closest was crying the least, if barely at all, shock still not having set in. The other two, where crying and asking ‘why’ and the last, the one who Jackie probably fought with the most was crying the most, remaining pretentious and superficial until the end, a boy lingered off to the side, not bothering to wipe his tears, not a boyfriend, he was off on the bench, trying to look calm. “Excuse me?” a voice interrupted, “You’re not meant to be here this is a crime scene investigation, Your breaking federal law, if you don’t leave immediately I’ll have to arrest you” Shock took over Tessa, the woman look scary and like she would actually arrest her. She had brown curly hair, that had turned into a frizz ball, she hadn’t bothered wearing make-up and looked like she’d woken up put black slacks on, a blouse and gone to work, she looked tacky really. “Oh no, Sorry I don’t think you understand” Tess smiled, the sweet innocent smile, that made anyone melt. “I Dr Theresa Tallinn, I’m a forensic psychologist, for the fed, I was with my partner Will Wayland, he’s gone off to get someone—“ She trailed off, Will hadn’t exactly specified who or where he was going. “Right,” She replied “I’m not buying it, you look about what? 20, sure, you can go over there with the rest of—“ “Leanne, This is Tessa, she’s working with me.” Will interrupted. “Problem?” his had an amused look on his face. Leanne, the woman’s name was, looked displeased. “Funny, the girl barely looks past twenty, and you’re saying she’s a forensic psych?” “Finished top of her class at Monash, has references from Dupin and Poe, Don’t you have something better to do then question me?” She turned and stormed off in a fury, Will turned annoyinlingly on Tessa “In Future Theresa,” He stated “It might be wise for you not to dress like a sixteen year old girl, playing dress ups.” She glared at him ice blue eyes shining like daggers, immediately she composed herself “Did you know William there’s been a psychological study, that the way you dress is, makes you age quicker, What would that make you? Forty?” With that she turned on her heel and walked away without glancing back.
“Tess! Where’s the sugar?” She heard Will yell; quickly she got dressed and walked out. “No, time for that, we should go see the others.”
He looked at her blandly, “But I just made a cup of tea?” She walked over to where he was standing in the kitchen and grabbed the cup, and through it down the sink. “And I just got rid of it” He rolled his eyes and suppressed a smile, “Alright, alright, let’s go” She smiled. Grabbed her keys and walked out the door. Jackie Hall swung from a rope, side to side, back and forth, it reeked of teen suicide, but there was something that didn’t quite add up right, then again these things never did. The investigators, lingered away from the body, and barely spoke, even Will seemed to have lost the snark, it was as if they where afraid the body would jump out at them at any moment. Tess lingered in the doorway for a few more minutes until she had the courage to walk up to the body. She glanced at it, Jackie Hall was pretty even in death, a bag was over her head, which struck Tessa, her mind listed the millions of reasons ‘why’ that bag was there….
“So, the appeal, what’s the plan for it?” She asked Will, still not looking at him, she couldn’t shake off the fear of seeing Dave Stevens again, last time she saw him, she’d driven him into a lunatic state, of which she wasn’t quite sure he had recovered.
“Where going to find Hayley Branson’s body and send him back to trial for that, he won’t even get an appeal after that, even Lockleys will realize the uselessness, in that ----“ She stopped him there.
“Hayley’s not dead though? She’s missing.”
“Presumed dead, all we have to do is find the body.”
“Well that’s not an impossible task, is it?”
“Such lack of faith, I know exactly how we’re going to find out.”
“Care to enlighten me?” he glanced at her through the corner of his eyes she met him there. He immediately looked away, and stared at the road. “Tessa, I need you to break him again, please.” His voice dropped, quietly. He didn’t want to do it, and he knew that she wouldn’t ether. Her hair dropped in front of her face covering it, so he couldn’t see the reaction, he knew immediately she was withdrawing, becoming Theresa Tallinn forensic psychologist. “I’ll need a body.” She stated quietly.
I’ve got one better then that.” He replied ……”Do you know what happened to Jackie Mr Stevens?” Tessa asked, the face never faulted, she looked like a sweet, innocent high school girl really, trying to let her parents agree to her breaking curfew, only the stakes were high, she couldn’t lose him, if his lawyer got him out now, they’d never see him again. “She was strangled and raped, at the same time, then .....
By Georgia Houweling
The door continued to knock. She begged it to silence, silently she crossed of the list in the mind of things she had done; she had paid the rent so it couldn’t be Larry, her landlord she had paid for the electricity and water bills, even though she had hardly been there. Who could be the obnoxious person knocking at the door? Today was her day off; there was no way she was getting out of bed. Her body ached from exhaustion the last six weeks had been absolutely dreadful. With that she rose, ready to scream at her assailant and slam the door and continue to rest, she pulled down her over-sized shirt, and pulled her hair into a pony-tail.
She flung the door open, immediately unimpressed and leaned against the doorway, Will stood, there looking more exhausted than ever, his tie held loosely by the collar was blue, with strips perhaps a golden yellow, Renee would have referred to it as saffron yellow, or something technical for it. He stood at roughly 6foot, with black hair and green-grey eyes that changed in the sunlight, although they always had the same dark sinister look to them, something hidden perhaps it was because he was an investigator or something worse. Immediately she took in all of him, reading every inch, like her mother always said to her, once you learn to observe, you can never stop. She listed each and every one of them ; He was tired, this was because of the plane, he didn’t like flying especially long trips, He looked stressed concern filled his eyes, he was also agitated she didn’t know why yet, but from the look on his face, she was about to find out.
“Stevens’ is getting out on parole, the court approved it yesterday, the appeal is in two weeks, and damn Lockleys got it brought forward. I----” He told her, His stern voice, wavered on Lockleys’s name, the two had clashed several times, she interrupted him.
“Come in” She said in immediately opening the door more. He stepped inside, used to this, she could tell he was frustrated, it screamed at her. He walked over to the lounge, perfectly comfortable, with where he was, she smiled slightly to herself. “I’m going to take a shower and get ready, make yourself a coffee and me one two, I’ll be done in 20 minutes” With that she headed back in to her room.
Will stared at the TV for a while, Tessa’s house was so bland, and there were no photos, no memories nothing to say that she lived there, but then again that was Tess, detached and absent from the world, yet so in tune with what people spoke, even if they didn’t say it out loud, she knew exactly what they were thinking. Perhaps it was because of her job, they had worked as a partners since she got a job with the feds, and he always liked to have her handy whether it was to calm the family and friends or help suss out people.
She was one of the best the best forensic psychologists in the world, and the team had been asked to solve murders all over the world. It was funny, when they had first met, he found her nothing but a nuisance, perhaps it was because she was always right.
Tessa stared at herself in the mirror, taking in every bit of her, she had blue eyes crystal clear, and they shone like diamonds, with a bite at the end. Her brown hair think and layered, was wet, she grabbed the blow dryer and started to dry it off. She was tanned, she supposed, maybe it was from being in Paris for so long, she missed it, although not the murder. She had been looking forward to spending a few days to herself, but this case had to be solved, it was her first case she’d done fresh out of uni, her first job ever, the first time she ever met Will. She remembered the way she got out of the car and faced the school where Jackie Hall had been killed or suicide as they thought at the time...
“Ahhhh” Will sighed, his voice still agitated her “Another teenage suicide, great.” She rolled her eyes and continued to ignore him, and observed the situation. The media was outside the gates eagerly awaiting the news, what had actually happened to Jackie Hall? School Captain, Most Popular girl in school, She was pretty, from the profile Will Gave her, Blonde hair, Hazel green eyes, she would have had all the testosterone raged boys drooling after her. Her gaze followed along the school gates, leading to a green area where 3 or 4 girls sat crying – Friends she immediately listed, the closest was crying the least, if barely at all, shock still not having set in. The other two, where crying and asking ‘why’ and the last, the one who Jackie probably fought with the most was crying the most, remaining pretentious and superficial until the end, a boy lingered off to the side, not bothering to wipe his tears, not a boyfriend, he was off on the bench, trying to look calm.
“Excuse me?” a voice interrupted, “You’re not meant to be here this is a crime scene investigation, Your breaking federal law, if you don’t leave immediately I’ll have to arrest you” Shock took over Tessa, the woman look scary and like she would actually arrest her. She had brown curly hair, that had turned into a frizz ball, she hadn’t bothered wearing make-up and looked like she’d woken up put black slacks on, a blouse and gone to work, she looked tacky really.
“Oh no, Sorry I don’t think you understand” Tess smiled, the sweet innocent smile, that made anyone melt. “I Dr Theresa Tallinn, I’m a forensic psychologist, for the fed, I was with my partner Will Wayland, he’s gone off to get someone—“ She trailed off, Will hadn’t exactly specified who or where he was going.
“Right,” She replied “I’m not buying it, you look about what? 20, sure, you can go over there with the rest of—“
“Leanne, This is Tessa, she’s working with me.” Will interrupted. “Problem?” his had an amused look on his face. Leanne, the woman’s name was, looked displeased.
“Funny, the girl barely looks past twenty, and you’re saying she’s a forensic psych?”
“Finished top of her class at Monash, has references from Dupin and Poe, Don’t you have something better to do then question me?” She turned and stormed off in a fury, Will turned annoyinlingly on Tessa “In Future Theresa,” He stated “It might be wise for you not to dress like a sixteen year old girl, playing dress ups.” She glared at him ice blue eyes shining like daggers, immediately she composed herself “Did you know William there’s been a psychological study, that the way you dress is, makes you age quicker, What would that make you? Forty?” With that she turned on her heel and walked away without glancing back.
“Tess! Where’s the sugar?” She heard Will yell; quickly she got dressed and walked out. “No, time for that, we should go see the others.”
He looked at her blandly, “But I just made a cup of tea?” She walked over to where he was standing in the kitchen and grabbed the cup, and through it down the sink. “And I just got rid of it” He rolled his eyes and suppressed a smile, “Alright, alright, let’s go” She smiled. Grabbed her keys and walked out the door.
Jackie Hall swung from a rope, side to side, back and forth, it reeked of teen suicide, but there was something that didn’t quite add up right, then again these things never did. The investigators, lingered away from the body, and barely spoke, even Will seemed to have lost the snark, it was as if they where afraid the body would jump out at them at any moment. Tess lingered in the doorway for a few more minutes until she had the courage to walk up to the body. She glanced at it, Jackie Hall was pretty even in death, a bag was over her head, which struck Tessa, her mind listed the millions of reasons ‘why’ that bag was there….
“So, the appeal, what’s the plan for it?” She asked Will, still not looking at him, she couldn’t shake off the fear of seeing Dave Stevens again, last time she saw him, she’d driven him into a lunatic state, of which she wasn’t quite sure he had recovered.
“Where going to find Hayley Branson’s body and send him back to trial for that, he won’t even get an appeal after that, even Lockleys will realize the uselessness, in that ----“ She stopped him there.
“Hayley’s not dead though? She’s missing.”
“Presumed dead, all we have to do is find the body.”
“Well that’s not an impossible task, is it?”
“Such lack of faith, I know exactly how we’re going to find out.”
“Care to enlighten me?” he glanced at her through the corner of his eyes she met him there. He immediately looked away, and stared at the road. “Tessa, I need you to break him again, please.” His voice dropped, quietly. He didn’t want to do it, and he knew that she wouldn’t ether. Her hair dropped in front of her face covering it, so he couldn’t see the reaction, he knew immediately she was withdrawing, becoming Theresa Tallinn forensic psychologist. “I’ll need a body.” She stated quietly.
I’ve got one better then that.” He replied
……”Do you know what happened to Jackie Mr Stevens?” Tessa asked, the face never faulted, she looked like a sweet, innocent high school girl really, trying to let her parents agree to her breaking curfew, only the stakes were high, she couldn’t lose him, if his lawyer got him out now, they’d never see him again. “She was strangled and raped, at the same time, then .....
TO BE CONTINUED!